Please Please Help!! Two offers....

Two departments. Dept 1-Big City Dept close by Dept 2-Big County Dept 45 minutes away

I really want to work for the city, very close knit dept, exciting work, experience, busy, good rapport with employees. County is close knit, little slower, more rural. Not as diverse in the calls. Both depts have great benefits and pay. County is Florida Retirement System, City is private, but excellent.

Process with city has lasted 6+ months now. Interviewed with County, came out to my car, had message from City to take psych 2 1/2 months after polygraph. County has been about a month now for their process. They are ready to hire so I expect to hear soon.

What it all boils down to is that I really want to work for the city, but what do I do if the County offers? Psych for city is at Station 1, so do I ask to meet with the captain when it's done, see what he says? I don't want to waste a dept's time or money, or take a good candidates spot only to leave for the city. Do I take the county and get the city next time around? Decline the county and wait for the city? Thought after that interview went great I would be stress free for a while, but that message has my head turning every which way. Thank you for your advice in advance, I really appreciate it.

Neither..........

You said the Magic Word - Florida. Bail, Head North, work in DC, Baltimore, or one of the Big Maryland Counties. 24/72 shift, Excellent Pay and Benefits, 20 year retirement in most places.......

Or - if you are compelled to stay, Your County FD has the Best Growth Potential. Department Grows to keep pace with overall growth potential of the County as a whole, there will be more opportunity for advancement.

I worked for a "City" for 4 years, Left it for a County Department, and never looked back. To this day, 44 years later, I am still convinced that I did the right thing. The County is still growing, the City has closed stations and downsized considerably, even before the current economic troubles.....

Thankfully, the City Downsized by not filling vacancies, no one was forced out.

Take whichever job gets offered to you first- and remain loyal to them....

Let's say the County does indeed offer you a spot. And you turn it down in anticipation of the City job.

Then for some reason or another, the City bypasses you and you do not receive a job offer. What do you do then?

If the county calls you first, take the spot, and like I said, remain loyal to them, or else you will **** a lot of people off. People that could make things difficult for you to get hired anywhere else, including the City.

Take whichever job gets offered to you first- and remain loyal to them....

Let's say the County does indeed offer you a spot. And you turn it down in anticipation of the City job.

Then for some reason or another, the City bypasses you and you do not receive a job offer. What do you do then?

If the county calls you first, take the spot, and like I said, remain loyal to them, or else you will **** a lot of people off. People that could make things difficult for you to get hired anywhere else, including the City.

Exactly. You have not been offered anything yet. You must be the reason they tell recruits to not quit thier jobs unitl an offer is in hand. Just because you test for a department doesn't mean your hired.

‎"The education of a firefighter and the continued education of a firefighter is what makes "real" firefighters. Continuous skill development is the core of progressive firefighting. We learn by doing and doing it again and again, both on the training ground and the fireground."
Lt. Ray McCormack, FDNY

Guys, I know I do not have any offers yet. I am just looking for advice if this situation were to come up. Would it be improper of me to ask the Capt in charge of new hires if he has a minute when I am at HQ after my psych? Really this city is pretty much my dream job. I think I would regret not exhausting my options with them before signing on somewhere else. Thanks again everyone.

I'm with the others that say take whatever is offered to you first and stay with them. However, if you know that you'll never be happy knowing that you could have worked for the City, if the County calls and offers you a job, ask if you could meet with them the next day with some last minute questions. Call the Captain at the City and explain that the County has offered you a position but you'd rather work for them. I'm guessing he'll say take the job with the County unless they are ready to make you an offer on the spot. If they say they aren't ready for you yet, go with the County. Don't withdraw from the City until you are 100% hired (medical, approved by retirement, etc).

So contrary to the thread title, you actually have ZERO offers currently?

Look at it this way; whichever department offers you the dream job first is your dream department.

You cannot take a chance as well as show the audacity to turn down one or ask them to "hold that thought" of hiring you in the hopes the city FD will come a calling. A lot of money has already been invested by both departments to get you to this point. If you show that you weren't slightly interested in one, I wouldn't hesitate to round file your application package since you've just shown you're thinking with one foot out the door upon hire.

From your side, there is no negotiation. They'll move on to the next guy if you try to.

Yah the title was to just get the main point across. Not deception. Thank you for the advice, after talking with friends and hearing comments here, definitely will go with the first offer. But I do plan on trying to find out how the process will be progressing after this psych. I've heard it's going to speed up now. Thanks again, I'll be sure to let you know how the chief beatings go

Take the one you get first, focus 110% on getting through recruit school and probation, and take life as it comes. If you have 6 months in with the county, and the city offers you a job, and you still want to work there, GO. I agree with being loyal to the first place that hires you - to an extent. If your dream is to work for "Big City Fire", then do what you can to make that happen.

Being loyal to the first place that hires you means giving that job your all, being loyal to the organization, WHILE you work there. It's not a blood oath, and it doesn't mean you can never leave to work elsewhere.